UW Graduates and Laramie Natives Return to Perform Nov. 17

It will be a homecoming when Laramie siblings and University of Wyoming graduates Shelby and Jacob Means return to perform with their respective acts Friday, Nov. 17, in the final UW Presents performances of the fall semester.

Shelby and Jacob Means, both Laramie High School graduates, will bring their award-winning and nationally known Americana/bluegrass groups to the Gryphon Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Jacob returns with his trio, The By & By, and Shelby is part of the duo Sally & George. The Gryphon Theatre also sponsors both performances.

Tickets cost $18 for the public; $15 for senior citizens, faculty and staff; and $10 for students. Tickets are available at the Wyoming Union information desk and the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts box office, by calling (307) 766-6666 or going online at www.uwyo.edu/finearts.

Shelby Means was originally a bass player, singer and songwriter for the band Della Mae. She has been around music since the age of 5. At a young age, she competed in multiple music competitions such as the Wyoming State Fiddle Contest and female vocal contests.

She attended UW, where she majored in music, which jump-started her music career. Means now lives in Nashville, Tenn., where she performs with her husband, Joel Timmons, as Sally & George.

According to Sally & George’s website, Means met Timmons, guitarist and singer of his own band, Sol Driven Train, at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots music festival. Means was performing at the festival with her Grammy-nominated bluegrass band, Della Mae. Two years later, they formed Sally & George, a name which is an homage to Means’ grandparents. Their debut rock ‘n’ roll-tinged album, “Tip My Heart,” received favorable reviews. Since then, they have recorded two more albums.

A performer, improviser and educator, Jacob Means experiments with new sounds while still maintaining a relationship with traditional Appalachian folk music. A versatile musician, Means has traveled around the world performing in a variety of settings, from an a cappella vocal ensemble in Shanghai, China, to a bluegrass band at the International Folk Festival in Nitra, Slovakia, to a free improvisation ensemble at Jordan Hall in Boston, Mass.

He started playing the mandolin at age 8 and began performing in a bluegrass band with his father and sister while still in elementary school. He was a member of the Laramie High School choir and later attended UW, where he received a music degree with a focus in vocal performance. He continued to pursue his passion, the mandolin, and received his Master of Music in contemporary improvisation at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

He currently lives in Boston, where he teaches music at the Conservatory Lab Charter School.

For more information about Shelby Means or the Sally & George duo, visit www.shelbyleemeans.com and www.sallyandgeorge.com.

For more information about Jacob Means, visit www.jacobmeansmusic.com.

The spring UW Presents season will feature five performances, beginning with the Peking Acrobats Feb. 10.

For more information about UW Presents, call Janelle Fletcher, UW Presents director, at (307) 766-5139 or email janelle@uwyo.edu